INDEPENDENCE FROM...POLLUTED WATER

- Liane Weintraub, Editor-in-Chief

First-time visitors to Malibu generally have one of two possible reactions:

1. They cannot believe that this little unassuming strip of highway is what the fuss is all about;
2. They are in awe of the natural beauty of the place.

Both are absolutely reasonable.  In terms of the first response, the celebrity that surrounds Malibu is the stuff of legends.  Our coastal town is often uttered in the same breath as places like St. Barths or St. Tropez – world-famous resort spots that have taken on their own mythology.  And yet, to the outsider, there is not a lot of visible “fabulousness” to Malibu.  But that’s a topic for another story …

The second response is also understandable.  Malibu is sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains – both glimmering and majestic in so many ways.  Once you drive past the “honky tonk” part of the highway that’s peppered with fast food restaurants, gas stations and t-shirt shops, most of Malibu is very undeveloped, and the scenery is breath-taking.  For this reason, it is shocking to learn that many of the beaches here are polluted.

Yes, it’s true.  Much of Malibu’s water is dirty.  As in, un-swimmable for many months of the year.  One such contaminated place is the world-famous surf spot, Surfrider Beach.  The run-off from the mountains comes down Malibu Creek and collects in the Malibu Lagoon (which is impure in the extreme), and it all dumps directly onto what looks like a beautiful beach with gorgeous crashing waves.  After a period of heavy rain, the water at Surfrider frequently gets an F rating.

Luckily, something is being done about this problem.  The Malibu Legacy Park Project, which aims to build a beautiful community park which will also work as a clean-up machine, reducing the pollution impacts in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach.  The state-of-the-art project will address critical environmental issues such as:

• Bacteria reduction by stormwater treatment
• Wastewater management
• Restoration of wildlife habitats
• Creation of open space for recreation and education

Tastybaby is thrilled to be a part of this effort.  We have been outspoken advocates of and fundraisers for the Legacy Park, and we plan to keep on supporting it until the entire facility is implemented.

Recently, the City of Malibu held an open-air music festival called Malipalooza to generate excitement for the project in the community.  It was a grassroots event (free to the public) which featured local bands playing on an outdoor stage, artisans showing and selling their wares, plenty of food and drinks.  There was even an art station where people painted tiles which will be incorporated into a commemorative wall in the Legacy Park.  The day culminated with a screening (also outdoors, under the stars) of the famed 1960s music film, “Monterey Pops.”

Tastybaby sponsored the Kids Corner, and it was a blast watching children of all ages climb a giant inflatable rock wall, jump in a bouncy house, and “ride the waves” on a surf-simulation ride.  The Tastybaby staff and volunteers were also on-hand, giving out complimentary bottles of bubbles and “Tasty” tattoos to kids.  We raffled off a week’s supply of our baby food and a Tasty picnic basket, filled with delicious summer goodies.

All in all, it was a special day for Malibu and a great day for Tastybaby – there’s nothing that feels better than knowing that we are part of creating a solution.

Please read more about the Malibu Legacy Park Project: http://www.malibulegacy.org